North Melbourne will unveil four first-gamers and two club debutants against West Coast on Sunday as it boldly embarks on a new era.

Jy Simpkin, pick No.12 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, ruck revelation Braydon Preuss and 2015 draftees Mitch Hibberd and Declan Mountford will make their AFL debuts against the Eagles, while former Bulldog Nathan Hrovat and ex-Magpie Marley Williams will play their first games in North colours.

When the Roos announced late last season they would not be renewing the contracts of Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo, North coach Brad Scott said the club needed to offer more opportunities to youngsters who had struggled for opportunities behind the star veterans.

The Roos' round one selection statement is a strong sign the club is committed to delivering on Scott's pledge.

Scott told AFL.com.au North would continue to blood its youngsters over the remainder of 2017.

"We've picked the team on merit and those guys have seized their opportunities, which is exactly what we thought would happen," Scott said.

"Of those six new guys, Jy is the only first-year player, so the other boys have been working really hard over a period of time and have learnt their craft underneath some pretty good and pretty experienced players.

"So we think they're certainly more ready than back in 2010 when we were playing a whole lot of first-year players early and we persisted with them over a long period of time. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the club in all facets has a much, much better base right here, right now, than we did in 2010."

Simpkin, 19, had a delayed start to his first pre-season at Arden St as he recovered from a broken leg, but the former Murray Bushranger's class stood out in North's final two JLT Community Series games against Hawthorn and Greater Western Sydney.

"It's really unusual to see a young player who's got genuine outside class but also has a terrific work rate, unbelievable courage and is genuinely tough – and all those things sum up Jy," Scott said at North's season launch last Friday night.

Preuss was elevated to North's senior list at the end of last season after two seasons on the rookie list, and the Queenslander stamped himself as one of North's most improved players in the pre-season competition.

Significantly, the former rugby player kicked three goals against Hawthorn, showing he was capable of having an impact while resting in attack, which will be a key part of his role as support ruckman to Todd Goldstein.

Scott said Preuss, 21, had become one of North's hardest workers over his third pre-season.

"From the first day of the off-season he really set about having the best pre-season he's had to this point in his career. He got himself much fitter than he was last year and he really hasn't missed a beat," the Roos coach said.

Hibberd, 2015's No.33 draft pick, endured an injury-plagued first season with North last year, but the 190cm Tasmanian is a hard runner who impressed across half-back in the JLT series, racking up a team-high 25 possessions against the Hawks.

Mountford, pick No.60 in 2015, played as a run-with midfielder in North's first two pre-season games, curbing the influence of Jaeger O'Meara in the second half against Hawthorn.

The West Australian finished runner-up in the best and fairest award of North's VFL affiliate Werribee last year, and boasts a rare mix of elite endurance and breakaway speed.

In the injury-enforced absence of the Roos' No.1 tagger Ben Jacobs, Mountford could be handed the job of curtailing one of West Coast's star midfielders.

Hrovat, 22, played all three of North's JLT games and, after 30 games in four seasons at the Whitten Oval, looks capable of making an immediate impact as a high half-forward.

Williams, who played 68 games in five seasons at Collingwood, looked at home in North's backline in the opening two JLT games.

The Kangaroos will be hoping the 23-year-old West Australian can become the lockdown small defender they have been looking for in recent seasons.